[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 64 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2298-S2300]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



         Allowing Senators' Young Children on the Senate Floor

  Mr. President, I also rise today to discuss S. Res. 463, a resolution 
adopted by the Senate yesterday that will allow Senators to bring their 
infant children to the Senate floor.
  Several of my colleagues will be joining me on the floor shortly to 
discuss the importance of passing this resolution, and I would like to 
take a moment to thank some of them because without their hard work and 
support, this resolution would not have been adopted.
  Of course, there is Senator Duckworth herself--the person who did all 
the work in more than one way. This is her second child. She is 50 
years old, and she is a pillar of strength. She paved the way for 
future women Senators who will have children while in office. She may 
be the first, but she will not be the last.
  I would also like to thank Senator Durbin, her colleague from 
Illinois, for his work in getting this done. Women may be leading the 
charge on making workplaces more family friendly, but there are a lot 
of men, like Senator Durbin, who have our backs.
  I would like to thank Senator Murray, who also worked on this with 
me--a mom in tennis shoes who has long been a true champion for women.
  Finally, thanks to Chairman Blunt and Leaders Schumer and McConnell, 
who helped ensure that this got to the floor and adopted quickly. 
Chairman Blunt and I lead the Rules Committee, and we have worked 
together well for a very long time. I welcome him back to the 
committee.
  I came to the floor earlier this week to discuss the importance of 
this historic resolution. It is historic for a number of reasons. 
First, it is very rare for the Senate to expand floor privileges to new 
groups of people. In fact, it has been decades since we did that. We 
have to go back to the late 1970s. In fact, there has not been any 
expansion of who is allowed on the floor since 1997, when a service dog 
was allowed. That was a long time ago.
  I have had a lot of interesting questions about this, including: 
Would Senator Duckworth's daughter have to abide by the Senate dress 
code? She will not. She will not have to wear pants or a skirt. She 
will not wear a Senate pin because that would be dangerous. She can 
wear a cap if she wants.
  Another question: Well, what happens if one day we have 10 babies on 
the floor? I actually think it would be quite delightful if we had 10 
babies on the floor. I don't think there is any imminent concern that 
will happen, but I do think it would be exciting if we had 10 new moms 
and dads.
  The other reason this is historic is that Senator Duckworth, of 
course, was the first U.S. Senator to give birth while in office. More 
women than ever are running for public office, so it is inevitable in 
the future that more women Senators will have children while in office, 
and, of course, this new rule applies to men and women.
  I think one of the exciting things about this is that Senator 
Duckworth was very clear that she didn't want this just to be about her 
and an exception for her; she thought to the future and saw that we 
would have more women Senators.
  Sticking together means recognizing that we have a lot of work to do 
outside the Halls of Congress, and the women Senators across party 
lines have stuck together, but we know this fight doesn't end here. We 
are just an example for the country, but there are so many bigger 
things to do.
  The truth is, too many American moms are not in positions of power to 
change the rules, which is why it is so important for those of us who 
are in positions of power to be champions of change--to be able to look 
at archaic rules that were in place 100 years ago. By adopting this 
resolution, we set an example. But if we really want to do

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something for the rest of America, we have to pass some work- and 
family-friendly policies, like paid maternity leave and making it 
easier for workers to get childcare. Those are the kinds of things that 
will matter to all of America.
  But today we set an example for one mom and one baby, and we look 
forward to meeting her on the floor.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Fischer). The Senator from Michigan
  Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I rise today to express my concern about 
the nomination of Congressman  Jim Bridenstine to be the NASA 
Administrator. I will oppose his confirmation when the Senate votes 
this afternoon.
  While the nomination is problematic due to Congressman Bridenstine's 
lack of relevant qualifications and the importance of this position to 
our Nation, I am deeply concerned about this nomination because it is 
further evidence of a much deeper problem. I am concerned that this 
administration does not respect science--especially science in 
government institutions.
  So now let's look at the data.
  The Office of Science and Technology Policy, or OSTP, has four 
positions requiring political appointment, including the Director, who 
also serves as the President's Chief Science Adviser. The President has 
made zero--zero--nominations to OSTP and has now taken significantly 
longer than any other modern President to name a science adviser.
  Let's look at how the President's delay compares to past 
administrations on both sides of the aisle. Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, 
and Clinton all named a science adviser before they even took office. 
Presidents Reagan, Carter, and George H.W. Bush all named their science 
adviser within 4 months of taking office. President George W. Bush 
waited the longest, but he still chose to pick a physicist to fill the 
role by June of his first year in the Presidency.
  When it comes to prioritizing science in the executive branch, 
President Trump is not normal. You could say this administration is an 
outlier or an anomaly. This is the same President who flirted with 
anti-vaccine conspiracy theories as a candidate and regularly suggested 
that climate change is a hoax. I am not saying that his lack of a 
science adviser is causing the President's ill-informed views, but I am 
saying there is, indeed, a very clear correlation.
  It is not just the top science positions that are empty or filled by 
unqualified nominees either. A talk radio host and a political science 
professor was nominated to be the Chief Scientist at the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture. Political science may be interesting to all 
of us here in the Senate, but it doesn't have much to do with 
agricultural science.
  Of the 43 nominations the administration has actually made to 
science-related positions, almost 60 percent do not have advanced 
degrees in science or health-related fields.
  A White House that does not respect science will hold our Nation 
back. We have historically been a leader in science, and it has 
unleashed trillions of dollars of economic growth and created millions 
of jobs. Investment in research and development has been the seed corn 
for growth in our country and for its economy.
  This administration's blatant disregard for science risks ceding that 
leadership to our competitors, like China, who are making unprecedented 
commitments in this area.
  I do not believe that the Chinese Government is pouring money into 
scientific research just out of intellectual curiosity; it is because 
they know it will be the biggest driver of competitiveness and economic 
growth in the 21st century.
  In addition to strong funding for basic research, we need smart, 
qualified individuals providing leadership across the American 
scientific enterprise to make sure this money is being well-spent. We 
need qualified leaders and scientific experts at OSTP, at NOAA, at NSF, 
at NIH, and we need them at NASA.
  NASA has upward of 18,000 employees, 80,000 contractors, and a budget 
of $20 billion. NASA also is in charge of keeping our astronauts safe 
and inspiring a generation of young minds as we face a significant 
shortage of STEM professionals.
  NASA's research, science, and technology missions need a champion who 
understands and promotes nuances of the work being done by scientists 
on their team. In short, NASA needs an Administrator who will be driven 
by science and not by politics.
  Looking at all of the data--from NASA to OSTP to the USDA--I can't 
help but reach the conclusion that this administration does not 
prioritize science, and this needs to change.
  I urge my colleagues to vote against Mr. Bridenstine's confirmation 
today.
  I also urge the administration to wake up, make science a priority in 
the White House and across the executive branch, and start nominating 
respected scientists to the remaining vacant positions.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, the Senate is expected to vote this 
afternoon to confirm  Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma to be the 
Administrator of NASA, or the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration. For more than 15 months, our national space agency has 
been without permanent leadership. This is far too long, especially 
considering the incredibly important work that NASA is undertaking on a 
daily basis.
  The agency is currently working with the commercial space industry, 
for example, to resume launches of American astronauts to the 
International Space Station, rather than have to rely on the Russians 
to transport American astronauts into space. Additionally, teams at 
NASA are developing the Space Launch System, or SLS, and the Orion 
capsule. These are components of a rocket system that is the most 
powerful one built since the Saturn V that sent Neil Armstrong to the 
Moon. It will pave the way, hopefully, to one day landing astronauts on 
Mars.
  Having a permanent Administrator in place is important not just so 
the agency itself can function but so NASA can have an impact on our 
entire country. Having appropriate leadership means NASA can continue 
to benefit Texans who work there, with jobs and opportunities to 
research, collaborate, and innovate across disciplines.
  The Administrator is charged with selecting the Directors of each of 
the agency's space centers around the country. This, too, is important. 
One reason is because at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Dr. Ellen 
Ochoa, the current director, is stepping down next month, after years 
of distinguished service. It is critical that we have a competent 
replacement for her and ensure seamless transition after she leaves. 
Part of the way we do that is by making sure that this nominee is 
confirmed today.
  We in Texas are, I believe, justifiably proud of the Johnson Space 
Center. The JSC heads the manned spaceflight program for NASA, which 
manages the U.S. presence at the International Space Station, among 
other operations. JSC employs roughly 10,000 people, and virtually all 
U.S. astronauts pass through it, at one time or another, to receive 
training. Currently, JSC is involved in developing the Orion capsule, 
which I spoke of a moment ago. One hundred sixty-nine companies are 
collaborating with NASA on its launch, creating nearly 800 jobs--not 
all of them in the Houston region. In fact, in multiple locations 
around the country, the commercial space industry is growing rapidly. 
In 2014, the Midland International Air and Space Port became the first 
federally licensed facility by the FAA for both airline flights and 
commercial space flights. That is just one of several examples.
  Meanwhile, in Washington, we have to continue to do our part 
supporting U.S. space exploration. Last year, I was proud to have my 
legislation, called the MANIFEST Act, signed into law as part of the 
NASA reauthorization, and I hope to collaborate on similar legislation 
in the future with colleagues.
  If we want to keep pushing toward the final frontier, our first step 
is to

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ensure that we have a strong Administrator at the helm, and that is why 
I intend to vote to support the nomination this afternoon.